Protect the Moon

We, the Undersigned, call for the recognition of the Moon as a territory of special interest to all peoples. As such it should be protected from commercial, industrial and governmental activities which may pollute or otherwise damage its surface. An example of this sort of plan for the Moon is discussed here.

We oppose such projects because the Moon has a vital connection to the Earth. As yet the consequences of damage to the Moon on our winds and tides are not fully understood. Until they are, any project that may affect the Moon adversely, and consequently negatively impact on our environment, should not be undertaken.

We oppose commercial, industrial and governmental activities which may pollute or otherwise damage the Moon because it is the most likely staging post for the exploration of space and for the defence of Earth from asteroids. As such, polluting the Moon before an international consensus as to the best use of this satellite is reached is irresponsible, and shows an extreme lack of foresight and good judgement. Technologies which are designed to facilitate the use of the Moon without damage or pollution (like those discussed in the sixth web site listed below) are only just beginning to be explored. Until we have taken the responsible step of completing research that will allow us to use the Moon without damage or pollution, we should not allow commercial or industrial uses of the Moon which may later lessen the viability of the satellite with regards to protecting Earth, and facilitating space exploration. Out of sensitivity to the peoples of the Earth, any structures eventually built and operated in an environmentally responsible way on the Moon, should be based on its dark side - facing away from Earth.

We oppose activities which may damage or pollute the Moon because, in the words of Richard Steiner (a professor, conservation specialist, and associate director of the University of Alaska's marine advisory program, quoted from the second article listed below)"millions and millions of people on Earth see the Moon as a sacred icon and it should remain as suchTo turn the Moon into a quarry and strip mineI think if you put this out to a global referendum, I would virtually predict that 80 percent to 90 percent of people on Earth would object to this idea. Across dozens of cultures and belief systems the Moon stands as a revered symbol of purity and beauty. Often it is identified with Deity. To all these peoples, commercial, industrial and governmental activities which may pollute or otherwise damage the Moon represent a violation of sacred ground.

We oppose activities which may pollute or damage the Moon because, having so badly damaged our own environment, we should learn from our mistakes and undertake no unsustainable or irreversible acts when we venture into a new environment the Moon. The same commercial and Governmental groups that have acted to pollute Earths environment should be restrained from committing the same acts elsewhere. Rather than being permitted to simply move further afield and looking for new non renewable resources on the Moon, they should be forced to focus on the use of renewable resources and repairing the damage done to Earth.



Related links:
Moon is logical base for Defence of Earth from Asteroids.
Reclaiming the Moon discusses the possibility of mauling the Moon, trashing its stark beauty through strip mining and off-Earth industrialization. It introduces the Moon Society, an organization resolute in getting humanity on a return trajectory to that cratered, dusty world. Among the group's top priorities: Creation of a space faring civilization that puts in place communities on the Moon, bolstered by a wish list promoting large-scale industrialization and private enterprise on the satellite.
Project LETO -- short for Lunar Exploration & Tourist Organization -- is the first major project for the Moon Society. Then there's the Moon Society's flagstone venture, The Artemis Project, an effort ongoing since 1994 to design, fund, and deploy the first private lunar base for commerce and tourism. Meanwhile, TransOrbital of La Jolla, California is working on its TrailBlazer lunar probe. The plan is for the probe to return high-definition video imagery of the lunar surface. For a fee a person's words and images can be etched onto an imperishable metal disk carried by the probe. When TrailBlazer is de-orbited and smacks into the lunar surface, your communiquй to the outside world will survive intact on impact within a time capsule. Like-minded businessman, Jayme Findlay of Shawnee, Kansas is president of "Buried on the Moon" - a company dedicated to placing the cremated remains of 2,016 individuals on the Moon in 2005-2006. The cost is $100,000 per person.
Moon Seen as Nuclear Waste Repository.
Taming the Lunar Frontier: Settlers Wanted
An article on how easy it would be to build on the Moon in an environmentally friendly way by a NASA Consultant
Article by Jackie Alan Giuliano, Ph.D, who has spent 20 years in the Space Program. He says of the ships used to land on Europa that although still in the development phase, all three spacecraft currently plan to have plutonium on board to generate heat that is turned into electricity. Known as the Advanced Radioisotope Power Source (ARPS), these devices use approximately 4.8 kilograms of plutonium, arguably the most deadly substance created on Earth, to generate up to 280 watts of electricity.